We have our work cut out for us in the coming years. The threats to critical affordable and supportive housing programs that serve the poorest households and those with disabilities are real and significant. Become involved in planning the 2018 Congressional Reception!

NJCounts 2019

All twenty-one New Jersey Counties will be counting individuals and families who were homeless – both sheltered and un-sheltered - on the night of Wednesday January 23, 2019.This annual census is conducted by networks of organizations, agencies and others that plan community efforts to end homelessness and is coordinated by Monarch Housing on the statewide level.

The goal of the second Annual Homeless Sabbath is to engage as many congregations of all faiths to include readings in their service(s) held on December 15th, 16th and 17th, 2017, at their respective house of worship. Click here to register online to participate.

recruitment of and incentives for landlords to participate in the voucher program,

extended search times for voucher holders to find housing (from 60 days to 120 days), and

program improvements like payment standards more comparable to markets and improved services to landlords by public housing agencies.

The study included tests of voucher acceptance in five areas including:

Newark, NJ:

Fort Worth, TX;

Los Angeles, CA;

Philadelphia, PA; and

Washington, DC.

In telephone inquiries to the landlords about voucher acceptance in housing that would be affordable to voucher holders, the outright denial rate of vouchers was:

78% in Fort Worth,

76% in Los Angeles,

67% in Philadelphia,

31% in Newark, and

15% in DC.

Newark, the District of Columbia, and part of the Philadelphia area have protections against source-of-income discrimination. DC and Philadelphia also had higher payment standards than the other cities, with DC’s standards set at the neighborhood, rather than regional, level. Neighborhood-level payment standards allow for higher voucher payments to landlords in higher-cost neighborhoods and lower payments in lower-cost neighborhoods.

Denial rates in low-poverty neighborhoods were higher than those in high-poverty neighborhoods, except in:

In an additional step in the study, paired testers called landlords who accept vouchers to ask about available rental housing and to schedule an appointment to view it. Two testers would call the same landlord. These testers were similar in all aspects, including race, except that one identified as a voucher-holder and one did not.

Because of the small number of paired-tests, only the results from Newark, NJ were reported. The tests found that landlord no-shows to appointments were common:

11% of tests ended with the landlord not meeting with either tester.

The testers with vouchers, however, were eight percentage points less likely than those without a voucher to meet with the landlord.

Participate in Homeless Persons Memorial Day Vigil – attend the vigil and help remember our neighbors who died due to lack of housing and supportive services;

Engage – talk to your family, your neighbors, your co-workers and elected officials about homelessness in Union County and how we need to work together to end homelessness. To achieve that goal, we need to change the conversation and focus on the needs of our neighbors; and

Form a homeless ministry - Begin discussions that focus on what more your congregation can do to end homelessness.